Tag Archives: independence

With our most celebrated national holiday upon us, we at The Contrado Group have been thinking aboutÂ Independence quite a bit lately. Yes, we’ve also been looking forward to breaking out the BBQ, floating around on that unused raft, and maybe even playing with some fireworks. We will be celebrating our countryâ€™s Day of Independence â€“ the day our Founding Fathers came together and drafted a revolutionary document declaring our freedom and our independence from our British ancestors. So we asked: what does that have to do with us in the home-building industry? How can we apply such a monumental moment in history to us? And most importantly, how do we find the right balance that will enhance efficiency for all?

First, we must acknowledge thatÂ Independence Inevitably Leads to Innovation.Â In embracing your individuality as a company (or as a person, for that matter), you will be surprised at how many new ideas you have and how much new material you can actuallyÂ create. Take our Founding Fathers for example. Not only did they fight in an actualÂ decade-long war for their freedoms, but after their triumphant victoryÂ theyÂ created the â€śDeclaration of Independence,â€ť they established the US Constitution (â€śWe the Peopleâ€ť), and in general had a pretty successful American Revolution. They were pioneers. In declaring Independence like they did, you are virtually breaking through the old dysfunctional way of doing things, and embracing change and newness as your Modus Operandi. And the final objective? Self-sufficiencyâ€¦Â on your terms. This is the bread and butter of theÂ American Dream and of what being successful means in our society today, applicable to both to the individual and the organization.

Second, we must recognize thatÂ Independence â‰ Isolation.Â Think of our industry as an ecosystem. Each member contributes to the overall operational efficiency of the system, which as it turns out, isÂ paramount for saving time and money and for producing the best results. Who does your architectural planning, drawings, & renderings? Who does your marketing, and your selling?Â You may need to re-evaluate your game plan. BeingÂ over-independent often results in the dreadedÂ Silo-Effect (dun dun dunnnnnnn!): operating in isolation. This leads to little/no communication and an almost guaranteed increased inefficiency. In most of these all-too-similar cases, being over-independent indirectly cuts you off from valuable resources and other members of our â€śecosystem,â€ť who are there to give feedback, bounce new ideas off of, and in essence help youÂ grow.

So, how do we find theÂ Independence Equilibrium?

INNOVATE: We mustÂ create space for the innovation that independence breeds. Within your companyâ€™s means, ask yourself what you can do differently to maximize operational efficiency.

COLLABORATE: We must find theÂ Pioneers, theÂ Innovators, and theÂ Front-Runners and we mustÂ collaborate with them. Outsourcing key parts of our processes, people, and technologies to these guys will yield better results than trying to figure it out on our own â€“ one-stop-shops and multi-taskers welcome!

NETWORK: We must keep in constant contact with the members of our ecosystem, the other home-building industry professionals. There is a big chance they might have the solution you are looking for.

EMBRACE CHANGE: We must declare our Independence from the old dysfunction! The plus side for home-building professionals? We donâ€™t need to fight a 10-year war and risk death for our revolution.